Snow blower B748B on B 6100 D

Here's the 48" single stage on my B6000E. It looks a lot like the Snowcasters you'd find on older Case 446/448 (now Ingersol). I can not find any equipment identificaton on it. If you got the same thing, let me know, I'll measure the belt when I take it off this spring.

The part # for the Drive Belt on the B748B is 70060-00028. I purchased one last year for about $12.00 from Coleman Equipment in Kansas

Also, I have the B748B on my B7100HST. It works quite well. You have to take it slow in deep heavy snow but it moves it. I depend on it when the snow is too deep or heavy to move with the plow on an old Jeep.

Thanks for that belt number, I'll mark that down for when it's time...

This was my first winter with this tractor. It saved a lot of hard pushing on the old Honda 4x4 with the 5 foot plow on it. It seemed like I needed to be in 5th gear to do much to do more than drizzle snow out the shoot on the main parts of the driveway, more like a rotary plow than a true "blower". It did love the heavy banks at the end of the driveway. I've got a bunch of rocks in the driveway, so the 1.5" skid feet helped from not picking up many, but this may have defeated the design of the unit. For next year the skegs will be steel and adjustable height, and I'll try some different heights. All in all, I've been more inpressed with a Toro Wheelhorse 520H with a 44inch 2 stage thrower on it. The last bit of concerns was that drive sprocket really needs a full wrap chain gaurd, I wasn't liking knowing there is a constant rooster tail of oil, snow, and sand that spins in the direction of the operators seat. If anyone is looking a buying one, I'd recomend spending the money on two stage unit or a plow instead, unless the old single stage is "included" or just too dirt cheap.

I've found a complete parts list and diagram for it on-line under the Snowcaster snowblower name from the Case Hi-Drive series tractors. I've down loaded the PDF and could repost the parts list and assembly page if anyone has needs for it.

You can pick these belts up at an Autozone.

Also the roller chain is #40, the little sproket is 16 tooth and a .750 bore.

Anyone have any feed back on stepping up the tooth count on the little driver on these? I thinking that 30% overdrive would be sweet, and make up for the diesel's 2900 rpm vs the 3600 rpm of a gas engine in the Case tractors.

If you see the Lovejoy coupling is looking bad, these are model # L090/095. Best price I've found for the rubber spider is $6.50 at Drillspot.com. With shipping you can have 2 for under $20.00. Considered going with the more durable blue spider, but seems easier to replace a spider than the crank or PTO splines. Never replaced the spider before, so don't know how many hours it had on it.

Here's the Ingersol Manual on the "Snowcaster".
(Pain in the rear end trying to get PDF files broken down to under 100k.)

New chain, sprocket, Lovejoy Spider, Belt, and a homemade chain gaurd. The bigger sprokdrive et really gets that blower spinning! Itching to go and try it out. The chain gaurd is temporary until I get a feel for the overdrive with a load on it. If I satisfied with the new blower RPM and the engine can live with it, then I'll weld up something more permanent.


Follow UP 1/16/2011

RPM is all it needed. I can drive it under snow banks in 1st gear and wait for it break at the tires. Awesome. Also, in the light snows I can drop the rpm and run it in 4th gear with very acceptable distance out the shoot. Seems to be saving on fuel and time in the seat due to its ability to handle more snow when running around in 3rd or 4th, which seems to be most of the time. Only using 1st for deep drifts and the bank made by the town plow at the edge of the road.

Made some front tire chains with the old snowblower chain and the left over new chain from the box of 10ft I ordered. Seemed to work good in first storm. Only cost to me, now no longer have a spare chain for the snowblower.


Follow UP 1/16/2011

Front chains are working real good, have not lost one yet. I'm going to see about finding some streched out motorcycle chains for a larger 60 chain size which should set deeper in the snowpack, providing even more bite. Looking forward to try these when tilling and with the mower on come spring time.

Can you help me understand the auger mounting and adjustment on the B748B snowblower. I either have an extra washer OR don't understand the adjustment. The photo shows the washer in the hole in the housing. When it is in this position it does not seem to allow adjustment.

thanks

Traylor- I'm not sure if you found anything useful in the assembly diagram I uploaded in a prior post in this very same thread?

When I had the drum off to open the chain clearence for the new sproket, I did see the eccentric flange pattern. It looked to me that you can move the auger into or away from the housing for some reason. I reassebled back to what I assume to be the prior stock location, as I didn't see any reason to move the drum in or out. There should be nylon roller on a shoulder bolt to adjust the chain tension. Good luck. Let me know if you find any gains if you end up resetting the drum position in the housing. Now I'm curious if that's been the under-performance issue I had with mine before going with overdrive gearing.

The snowblower manufacturer didn't put in any shear pins, instead a break away pully hub. When you overload the blower in 10" of deep slushy snow "mashed potato's", the pully can fly off the shaft! The fix will take a few minutes with a hand file and then a vise to press it back on. This time bigger than stock spot welds in all the corners.


STATUS UPDATE 1/21/2011

I found that the hex was a bit loose, and no press fit needed once the bent metal was filed off. It would appear that there was a head on the pulley that was swaged over the face of the pulley to hold on the hex. I put 6 spot welds on the corners of the hex and put it back in. Working good. If if breaks again, I'm going to look into a quick disconnect hub and pulley and use bolts with notches in them to function as shear pins. It's a real bugger to get the hub off to do a proper weld on the bench, I had to pull the shaft out to drive the it thru the hub using the vice. If your lucky the hub will pull off easily, if you can get a puller on it (uggh), 3" holesaw would be handy. McMaster Carr has replacement pulley's relatively cheap, it's likely worth having one on the shelf for a backup. Also, I recommend changing the pulley effective diameter in place of changing the sprocket size. The clearance on the chain housing is a nightmare to open up, and the pulley has no clearance issues. It may be possible to keep the stock belt length with a new smaller pulley if the tensioner has enough travel? Live and learn. Still like the overdrive regardless, now looking for more power, maybe a B7100!

Rust Addict, I am restoring a B748 (I think, the model number is gone) to use on my B7100D. I haven't used it yet. I am used to my single stage Wheel Horse Blower, so do you recommend over driving the Kubota blower to get the same performance? Since I have it apart right now replacing bearings, sand blasting and powder coating, it would be the time to make the change.

BTW, I do have the manual. You mentioned earlier chain tightening. This is the procedure from the manual:

"Auger Drive Chain Adjustment - The two auger mounging hubs have twelve holes in an eccentric circle around the auger mounting shaft. The hubs also have an orientation hole near the shaft. Chain slack at the lower section should be held to between 3/8" and 1/2" under normal finger pressue midway between the drive sprockets. When adustment is neessary, remove the tow bolts from the right hand mounting hub and rotate the hub in either direction until correct chain tension is obained and reinstall the two bolts. Important - To Keep the chain in line with the auger sprocket, rotate the left hand mounting hub to locate the orientation hole in the same position as the right hand hub."

You may have already figured this out, but I thought I would include it if you hadn't.

Z

Thanks for the info on the adjuster. It's what I was thinking, my auger runs about 3/16" from the housing, paint is missing all over the place from dragging rocks through it. I must have a modified or variation in the snowblower than the one I posted in the snowcaster manual. There is a slotted hole with a nylon rod over a bolt to adjust the the chain tension. Easy to adjust and plenty of adjustment. I'll get a pick on this "upgrade" next time I'm in the garage.

For the overdrive, try it with out it and see what you think first. I'm convinced the overdrive was needed. However before buying the 24tooth sprocket, I'd sooner look for a 5.25" OD quick disconnect pulley and hub set up. (The pulley that I broke is 6.5" OD, .750" bore w/ std key, 1/2" belt.) A new pulley would be way easier to install, the only modification that may come into the "overdrive" change is the question of how to restore the belt tension, not sure if the stock belt could be retained or not.

Thanks for the info. It would be easier to change the belt pulley especially since I want to try it out before I make the change. You mentioned McMaster-Carr, is that a good place to get the quick change pulley? If you have a link to the pulley, I would appreciate it. I just ordered a 3/8 universal to put on the chute adjustment rod (similar to what is on the Wheel Horse) from them yesterday. Someone has made a new rod for the one I am restoring and I didn't like the open hook connection.

The inner race on the inboard bearing (nearest the pulley) has somehow worn down the shaft. I am replacing the bearing and plan to mount it on the other side of the support (same side as the pulley) to get away form the worn area on the shaft. The new bearing has a collar and set screw that fits over a lip on the inner race that should help keep it from spinning on the shaft.

I am also replacing the auger end bearings. I got them (11/16" hex inner race) from a Case/Ingersoll dealer for about $18 each. My old bearings may have been OK, but I figured the grease had to be dried out after 30 years and I don't want to take it back apart.

How is your PTO connected to the front of your tractor? Are you using an 18 mm 22T splined coupling? All I got with the blower was a 3/4" shaft out of the electric PTO with a Lovejoy coupling at the end. I removed the Lovejoy coupling and cut to length a tube to go over the 3/4" PTO shaft with a flange welded at the other end to bolt up to the fan belt pulley. A 3/4" ID tube slides over the 18 mm crankshaft spines with 0.040" clearance. I can't find an 18mm 22T splined coupling. A splined coupling would sure be easier to slide on or remove. I have to lift the radiator to slide the flange on the shaft.

If you have access to a mill, you could recut the key seats to keep from buying a new shaft. Flip the shaft end for end to position the race on clean stock. Not sure of the $ on a OEM replacement one. For the do it yourselfer looks darn close to a 24" x .750 stock shafting, you'll need to measure first. (McMaster # 8488T65).

If I get into a new shaft, I'm going to opt for the full key stock and forget the woodruff, it will save the assemble and dissemble to make aligments on all the shaft components. Itws a real knuckle buster to get alignment and staying completely over the keys. Don't forget to mark and drill the dimples on the second set screws into the shaft to prevent torsional shifting down the shaft.

I like the Q/D pulley over a solid, because of the option to thru bolt using some hand made shear bolts. Look at the McMaster H type hub# 6086K193. Fits a good range of pulleys: Mild Over-Drive (6.25" OD) to Ludicrous Over-Drive (4.95" OD).

The tractor has always had the front electric PTO. I've only just this year taken the Lovejoy apart to replace the spider. Not too sure how the shaft fits into the crank shaft for the simple reason that it ain't broke, so no reason to fix it. If it was me, I'd keep a Lovejoy in the mix, cheap insurance to ensure that the alignment doesn't tear up a spline connection or the bearing in the clutch. Its a good idea to control the weak link or wear point.

Tensioner and temporary chain gaurd over the oversize sproket. Stock is 17tooth and this one is 24tooth.

Rust Addict said:

Tensioner and temporary chain gaurd over the oversize sproket. ...

Click to expand...

Looks like your chain guard is good through March anyway...
Good work and I myself appreciate the reuse of those very expensive pieces of metal... KennyV

Rust Addict, thanks for the input on the pulley and shaft. I will definitely use the Q/D hub if I decide to overdrive the blower.

Rust Addict said:

If it was me, I'd keep a Lovejoy in the mix, cheap insurance to ensure that the alignment doesn't tear up a spline connection or the bearing in the clutch. Its a good idea to control the weak link or wear point.

Click to expand...

Neither the B9310 and B9320 PTO Kit for the B7100 or B6100 show the Lovejoy coupling in the PTO shaft. They just have one shaft from the clutch to the crankshaft of the engine. That is why I removed it. The shaft with the Lovejoy coupling had already worn down at the bearing to the point it was allowing the clutch to drag on itself. So, the machinist turned that area down and put an interference fit sleeve back to get the bearing centered on the shaft again. I just assumed the Lovejoy coupling was for the B5100 or some PTO kit I haven't seen.